Tide-motor.



Patented Apr. 8, I902. F. H. LAUTEN.

TIDE MQTOB. (Application filed Apr. 10, 1901.)

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No. 696,982. Patented Apr. 8, I902.

F H; LAUTEN TIDE MOTOR.

(Application filed. Apr. 10. 1901.] (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shea! 2.

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NlTF STATES ATET OFFICE.

FRANK H. LAUTEN, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

TIDE-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N0. 696,982, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed April 10,1901.

T (LZZ whom it 712,07 concern.-

Be it-known that I, FRANK H. LAUTEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tide-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to utilize the rise and fall of the tide to compress air and also to generate power whereby a motor, engine, or other mechanism may be operated; and the invention consists in the new and novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of the improved tidemotor. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the turbines. Fig. 4 represents a detail View of the automatic airinlet. Fig. 5 represents a detail view showing the inlet and gate for admitting water to the casing. Fig. (i represents a side elevation of the motor as seen from the right of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a corresponding view showing the opposite side of the motor.

The motor comprises a casing to, the upper portion of which is air-tight and which rests upon suitable posts'or pillars b, so that its bottom shall be slightly above the level of the water at low tide. The engine 0 or other mechanism operated by the power generated is preferably placed on top of the casing, which provides a convenient support therefor. Air engines or pumps are shown in the drawings for the purpose of illustration, and the pistons 0 thereof are connected with a crank-shaft (Z, journaled in suitable bearings d. The bottom of the casing is provided with an inlet 6 and an outlet f, controlled by gates e and f", respectively. The inlet 8 communicates with theinterior of a telescopic frame g, comprising a plurality of sections 9 and having an opening g in its top, through which the water escapes into the casing. A shaft h is journaled in a cross-piece 9 near the bottom of the frame and in the casing, and a Water-wheel or turbine j is secured thereto by suitable means, as a spline and groove 7' so as to permit the turbine to move axially upon the shaft. The upper section Serial No. 55,26 8. (No model.)

of the frame is provided with a float g, so that the frame will be extended as the water rises in the casing, and the turbine is secured to said section by a hanger or hub j whereby it will be carried upward on the shaft therewith. A corresponding water-wheel or turbine j is arranged in or adjacent to the outlet f of the casing that is keyed to a shaft h, rotatable in bearings 72?, provided in a bracket 77, and in bearings h, provided in the casing. Each shaft extends without the casing and is provided at its top with a gear h meshing with a corresponding gear (1 provided upon each end of the crank-shaft (Z.

The inlet and outlet gates are automatically controlled by the movement of the tide. The inlet-gate e is held in its closed position by means of a catch 70 upon a rod 70, provided on the exterior of the casing With a crank 70 The catch is released by any suitable means, as a latch Z on an arm Z, secured to a link m. This link is guided and permitted limited movement by a slot m engaging with a pin or stud a upon the casing, and its upper end is bent to engage with a lug or projection 0' upon the float O. The rise of the float with the tide raises the link, and thereby releases the catch, and the gate is forced open by the inrushing water. The gate may be automaticallyclosedbyanysuitable means. Preferably the pintle 10 extends through the easing and is provided on the exterior thereof with a crank-arm 19', that is arranged in the path of a hook q upon a rod g, which engages with the float, whereby the rod may be raised and the gate closed. The outlet-gate f is automatically closed by a float f secured to the bottom thereof, which is raised by the flow of the tide. A catch r engages with the gate to hold same in its closed position. Said catch may be released automatically in any desired manner when the tide ebbs by a trip-lever r, which engages with the catch, so as to release same, and which is actuated bya float s, movable in guides s on the exterior of the casing.

A pipe tcommunicates with the interior of the casing at or near its top, which is provided with a valve t, normally held closed by a spring 6 upon the valve-stem A crankarm t is secured to the valve-stem that extendsin the path of a shoulder a, provided upon an arm a, pivotally secured, as at a, to

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a rod u upon the inlet-float. The arm is bent and is also offset from the rod, so that the' crank-arm i will disengage therefrom and the valve be closed by the spring when said arm a has been raised a sufficient height by the float. The air engine or engines 0 preferably communicate with the pipe 15, which conducts the compressed air to any desired point. A valve 0), having a spring 1) for normally h0lding same in its closed position, is provided in the top of the casing to permit air to enter contained therein is compressed and escapes only when the valve in the air-pipe is opened by the rise of the float. When the tide reaches its height, or immediately before, both this valve and the inlet-gate are closed. The water is then retained in the casing until the ebb of the tide causes the float to open the outlet-gate, which is automatically closed by the float secured thereto when the tide begins to flow. The formation of a vacuum in the upper part of the casing when the outlet is opened is prevented by the valve provided in the top of the casing. By this construction not only is the flow of the tide utilized to compress air, but the movements of the tide, both the ebb and flow, are utilized to generate power. Although the device set forth herein has been illustrated and described as atide-motor, it is obvious that same can be used wherever there is a periodic rise and fall of water sufficient to operate same.

Various changes within the skill of the mechanic can be made in the construction disv closed herein without departing from the spirit of the invention provided any of the means set forth in the following claims is employed.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a tide-motor, a casing having its upper portion air-tight and provided with a gate or valve-controlled opening in its lower por tion, said casing being arranged so that the air contained therein will be compressed by the flow of the tide, and a pipe communicating with the top of said casing whereby the air contained therein may escape, substantially as described.

2. In a tidemotor, a casing provided with a gate or valve-controlled opening in its bottom and arranged so that the lower portion of said casing will be submerged by the rise of the tide, the upper part of the casing being air-tight, and a valve-controlled pipe communicating with the top of the cast lg to permit the escape of the air therefromwhen the valve is opened, substantially as described.

3. In a tide-motor, a casing having its upper portion air-tight and arranged so that its lower portion will be submerged by the rise of the tide, an inlet to said casing, means for opening and closing said inlet, a valve-controlled pipe communicating with the top of the casing to permit the escape of the air therefrom when the valve is opened, and means for opening the inlet when the tide has reached a predetermined height on the exterior of the casing, substantially as described.

4. In a tide-motor, the combination of a casing having an inlet, of a frame in said casing communicating with the inlet and the interior of the casing, and a water-wheel in said frame actuated by the water admitted through said inlet, said water-wheel being movable with relation to the inlet, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a casing provided with an inlet, of an engine, a telescopic frame in said casing communicating with the inlet and the interior of the casing, a turbine in said casing rotatively secured to a shaft operatively connected with said engine, said turbine being rotated by the Water admitted through said inlet, substantially as described.

6. In a tide-motor, the combination with a casing having an inlet and an outlet, of a frame in said casing communicating with the inlet and the interior of the casing, a rotatable turbine in said frame, and a rotatable turbine in the casing arranged adjacent to the outlet, substantially as described.

7. In a tide-motor, the combination with a casing having an inlet, a frame communicating with the inlet and the interior of the casing having its sides comprising one or more telescopic sections, a shaft journaled in said frame and easing, a rotatable water-wheel keyed to said shaft and movable axially thereon, and means to extend said frame with the rise of the water in the casing, substantially as described.

8. In a tidemotor, the combination with a casing, provided with an inlet and an outlet, of means actuated by the tide for automatically opening and closing the outlet, and means actuated by the tide for automatically opening and closing the inlet when said outlet is closed and for holding said inlet open when the outlet is closed, substantially as de-' scribed.

9. In a tide-motor, the combination with a casing, provided with an inlet and an outlet, a frame provided with telescopic sides communicating with said inlet and the interior of the casing, a rotatable water-wheel in said frame, means for automatically opening and closing said inlet, and means for automatically opening and closing said outlet, substan tially as described.

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10. In a tide-motor, the combination of a hermetically-sealed casing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a frame in said casing having telescopic sides, a turbine in said frame rotatively secured to a shaft journaled in said frame, a turbine arranged adjacent to the outlet and rotatively secured to a shaft journaled in the casing, means for automatically closing and opening said inlet and outlet, and an engine operatively connected with the said shafts, substantially as described.

11. In a tide-motor, the combination of a hermetically-sealed casing provided with an inlet and outlet, gates for closing said inlet and outlet, means dependent on the movement of the tide for automatically opening and closing the outlet-gate, means dependent on the movement of the tide for automatically opening and closing the inlet-gate when the outlet-gate is closed, a pipe communicating with the top of said casing and having a normally closed valve therein, and means dependent on the movement of the tide for opening said valve, said means being adapted to permit said valve to close before the outletgate is opened, substantially as described.

12. In a tide-motor, the combination with a hermetically-sealed casing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a pipe'communicating FRANK H. LAUTEN.

Witnesses:

ANTHONY N. J ESBERA, JoHN M. SooBLE. 

